#rt x pasqal

[vossprime]

Mechanical; Medicinal

Pairing: Pasqal Haneumann x Female Rogue Trader

Rating: Explicit, no warnings apply

Tags: Smut, Fluff, Instructions, Masturbation, Explicit Consent, Negotiation, Techpriests being Techpriests, Vaginal Fingering, adorable awkward first time between two people, Theological Discussion

Summary: Pasqal delivers some reports and finds himself in bed with the Rogue Trader.

Gift for @jaal-ama-daravv <3

“Rogue Trader.” Pasqal's vox came to life, echoing the familiar syllables. “I was summoned as per your request.”

“Magos.” Lorelei gave him a grateful smile, straightening her back in an effort to shake off the hours. It was rare to be here instead of Dargonus, and it was good to be back, even if it was only behind the desk. “Thank you for finding the time.”

“Reporting to the Lord Captain is my highest duty as Enginseer.” Pasqal’s voice was calm, seeped through with slight static as always, but his stance betrayed that he was at ease and his gaze softened when it met the Rogue Trader’s. She couldn’t hide the slight hitch in her breathing holding eye contact, and so she broke it hastily. Lorelei shifted a few papers on her desk, though they had absolutely no relevance to the conversation.

“It is nothing major. I wanted to inquire, out of personal interest, what kind of progress you’ve made with Nomos.” She quickly continued, speaking up as to hide that for a moment, she had stopped in her tracks. “Since our meeting in servitor-form at my Magnae Accessio had to be cut short due to the nature of the festivities.”

She imagined seeing a glint in the eye of the man across her when she mentioned Nomos.

“I found myself fascinated, thinking about Nomos beyond the short conversation I had with it. I was mainly wondering if its time off-ship yielded new results?”

“The unit known as Nomos did collect great amounts of data. Regrettably, it has requested undisturbed time for reflection and comprehension. Analysing that data is currently advancing without input. ”

Pasqal descended into an explanation of the steps the ships-tech priests had taken to aid Nomos in its analysis. The days where his speech had been too distinct and too binaric for her to understand were over, however now, she found herself not listening for different reasons.

The firm line of his brow softened when he spoke, his bright eyes lit up even more, his mechadendrites moved animatedly with each word.

It was a welcome sight, and when he finished his report, she realised that she missed a part of it.

“I thank you for your report.” 

Lorelei wouldn’t admit to her inattentiveness, and most conversations in her study were recorded for re-listening convenience.

She expected Pasqual to leave, after all this was all she had called him in for, but he stood in place, calm and silent.

“Is there something else, Pasqal?”

His machines gave off an alert sequence of noise, several beeps in fast order. 

“Requesting further communication.” His voice was low and measured, “My surveillance of vitals on unit Lorelei, Rogue Trader, additionally make it my duty to address several readings.”

Lorelei couldn’t help being surprised, but gave it thoughtful consideration before letting herself be unsettled too easily. 

“I have been feeling somewhat exhausted lately, now that you mention it. I do hope it is nothing serious.” She gave him an earnest smile. “I thank you for your care. Proceed.”

The thought that he was keeping an eye on her was reassuring. As Rogue Trader, there was always much to do and many people to look out for, so that it was sometimes deceptively easy to forget to take care of oneself.

“The deviation is minimal.” Pasqal’s tone stayed soothing and steady as always, and Lorelei’s heart lightened. “I predict a low impact on performance. As the only retinue member with such abilities, it is merely my function to supervise in the absence of medical personnel. Data available: Increase in heart rate. Above average production of several hormonal substances. Dilation of the pupils-”

Lorelei cleared her throat. “It is nothing.” The nature of the deviation suddenly became all too apparent for her taste.

Pasqal looked at her with a mild mixture of offence and concern.

“One of the possible causes I could narrow down is: fear. Sweating, fast breathing and excessive production of adrenaline are possible symptoms of feeling threatened.”

Lorelei felther cheeks grow warm. Knowing how fair she was, the Techpriest would see the aforementioned symptoms soon enough. 

“I think it has to do with your presence, more than anything.”

This would certainly be a predicament to explain to him.

“My presence?” Pasqal lifted his head in time with his mechadendrites, curiously fixating the Rogue Trader with a gaze. “This unit finds it difficult to create a sufficient conclusion on why the Rogue Trader would perceive it as a threat. If there is reason, I will rectify the behaviour in question immediately.” 

Seeing him apologise almost sparked a sense of guilt in her. Where others saw him as closed-off and enigmatic, she saw a man who was always painfully sincere. Him bowing his head in a miscommunicated act of transgression was something she couldn't let stand, no matter how uncomfortable the truth might make her. 

“No, Pasqal.” She raised her volume just enough for him to hear the unmistakable conviction in her voice. She was a powerful woman, and she knew the weight of her words. 

“You did nothing wrong. I continue to appreciate your presence aboard this ship, and you have not once given me a reason to feel angry, threatened, or otherwise displeased at you.” 

Afterwards, however, she faltered. How did one explain what one couldn't even quite make sense of?

“You won’t let go unless I tell you to, will you?”

“My domain is knowledge.” Pasqual affirmed, “desire for it dominates all. But I will purge the case from my records if ordered to do so.”

“Well then.” Lorelei stood up, suddenly discontent with not standing eye to eye, but hip still resting against the edge of the table.

“There is an explanation your calculations failed to consider: I simply like you. More than,” she lightly coughed, throat suddenly tightened, “more than is average. It is no secret I seek to understand your soul, but I fear this is an issue of, ah, body as well.”

By the Emperor, why did attraction sound so nonsensical when explained?

“I suppose this might sound alien to members of the Adeptus Mechanicus?”

Pasqal’s stance betrayed no nervousness, no hesitation.

“Do not underestimate the depth of our knowledge. Understanding the will of the machine requires understanding the will of the flesh as well.”

“The case doesn’t need to be purged. This conversation can stay between us, trusting in your discretion, and business will resume as usual. I will trouble you no further with my desires. Goodnight.”

She lifted herself off the ledge of the desk, ready to head to bed and forget about all of this.

“Rogue Trader-” his voice cut through the warm air of her chambers like a well-oiled blade. “This unit has dedicated itself to serving you, and if it can provide you with any assistance at its disposal, it will.”

She didn’t think his voice would sound as soft as it did. Lorelei questioned if he was offering what she presumed or if that was wishful thinking. 

That in itself was unusual, his words usually straight and to the point.

“I would want assistance for more than just duties’ sake.”

“The reasons for my service reach far deeper than duty.” 

Her heart fluttered, though she dared not to hope for too much. Their working relationship was a short one, after all, and she couldn't imagine Pasqal to be one for short-lived affairs.

“What would your aid entail?” Her inquiry was soft, hesitant. She didn’t wish to encroach on his boundaries more than she already felt like she did. Her fingers lingered on the side of the desk, yet undecided whether to leave or stay.

“That depends on the extent of your wishes.” Pasqal admitted, eyes cast down. “The Rogue Trader should be conscious of the fact that this unit does not usually see to such tasks.”

Lorelei swallowed nervously “I- I know.” Her fingers anxiously fidgeted with the edge of her desk, lacquered nails thrumming against the hardwood. “With your consent, I’d like to take you up on this offer.”

“My consent has been given.”

“Might I propose we take this somewhere more private, then?” ___

“How is engaging with the flesh not antithetical to your belief in the Omnissiah?” she inquired on the way to the bedroom.

He held the door open for her as she stepped through. He smelled faintly of the surprisingly sweet aroma of machine oil and, well, like any other human. The realisation softened her. It was so unexpected, as he was so much more to her, but she fondly embraced the reminder there was a human underneath it all.

She stood still between the Magos and the doorframe, looking up to the tall figure above her.

Sitting behind the raised Rogue Trader’s desk, people seemed so small. Now, she didn’t feel so high and mighty anymore.

“The circles I studied in imposed no law that forbade this. Seeing that the subject will be the Rogue Trader’s body, not mine, this appears compliant with all teachings.”

“I would like to request you stop calling me Rogue Trader when it is just the two of us, if your protocol allows for it. Lorelei suffices.”

She was more than her station, after all, and especially in the bedroom, there was no room for the title of Rogue Trader.

“And what about you?” Lorelei drew closer, fingers dancing along the seam of the scarlet robes of the Mechanicus. “What is your perspective on the issue?”

“The machine is the true flesh, and I do not stray from this belief.” He watched her, interested, fascinated, as she continued playing with his robe just enough to lay bare a small patch of skin, “I diligently strive to adhere to the will of the Omnissiah. Nevertheless, I am not above knowing this particular weakness of the flesh. We must carry it for as long as we cannot purge it.”

Lorelei traced the skin she had uncovered. A small, diagonal scar ran across it. Her fingers ghosted over the nearly-white tissue.

“Will you stop carrying this weakness some day?”

“Where my path leads me is neither known nor for me to decide. Is the subject of my conviction distracting to you?”

She shook her head. He did have a point - if she wants to pretend this was purely an issue of lust, her questions didn’t serve any purpose. 

Full understanding of the other was something she desired, but it would take time - then again, wasn’t this act, no matter how primal, also a way to achieve that?

“I want to make sure I am not making you do anything that could lead to unwanted consequences.” Her response was upright, earnest.

He folded his metal hand over her, pressing it gently against his skin. “I welcome your interest. You have many questions, Ro-” he paused. “Lorelei. Are there any further things you wish to know?”

Her name sounded lovely through his vox. Most other people spoke it with reverence, but hard, as a statement. His pronunciation was soft, giving the syllables equal weight as if trying to hold onto all of them for as long as possible.

“I just need to know-” she sighed, “If this is something you truly want.”

By the Emperor, this was difficult. Not Pasqal, he was usually direct and aware, no, it was sorting her own feelings that brought her close to madness. 

Pasqal seemed to weigh her statement for a few seconds. Enough for her to second-guess herself, something she wasn’t usually prone to doing. 

“Full comprehension of this topic eludes this unit yet. Analysing available data, however, I can conclude that this is indeed something that I want.”

She couldn’t stop the relief from becoming apparent on her face. 

“Then what would you be comfortable with?”

“That is something yet to be revealed to me. I request my mechadendrites to be left alone, as they do not serve the requested purpose. They are my siblings on my path of the Omnissiah, and not to be involved in this.”

“Of course.” Lorelei gave him a soft smile, taking one of his hands and tugging him further into the depths of the bedroom. ”Shall we begin?“

___

With solemn precision, like he did everything in his life, Pascal began to undo the chains hanging around his waist with the heavy metal censer around it. It sank to the ground with a satisfying dull noise against the carpet. His chestplate was carefully placed on one of the chairs in the room, out of the way, projecting the impressive symbol in its middle even when taken off the body.

Lorelei, with much less to shed, kicked off her boots and left them next to the bed - nothing was more annoying than having to take care of those in the middle of the act. She had come into the meeting without armour or jewellery, neither of those needed with the man that had sought her out. 

She sat down on the ledge, backing a little further until she sat towards the middle of the wide bed. It was too big for one person, and having spentspent countless nights alone in it, she was glad to finally use it for something other than sleep.

Pasqal sat down at the edge of the bed, his robes spilling over it like a bloodstain. His shadow fell over her. The light of the huge luster in the middle of the room showered him from above, giving the reflection of all his augments an eerie glow. Lorelei felt unsure, but not uncomfortable, in these familiar surroundings but unfamiliar circumstances.

He was close, maybe closer than he’d ever been. The soundscape of his machines sang her a lullaby, though she was far from craving sleep. She could pull him into a kiss, she mused.

“I might have been overconfident in offering my assistance.“ Pasqal confessed, “No, that is incorrect. I will require your detailed instructions for this.“

Lorelei caught herself playing with a strand of her copper hair, a telltale sign for her fluttering nerves. This was a novelty, for both of them, and haste seemed unwarranted. They could take their time, and she needed to get to know his body as much as he did hers. 

“No, no, it’s quite alright-” she answered between racing thoughts, “I will try my best to instruct you.”

“Thank you.” It sounded earnest.

“I’m not very experienced myself.” She laughed a nervous laugh, but an honest one. She’d had her dalliances before, but nothing that was particularly passionate and didn’t follow a certain scheme when it came down to it. 

She looked down on herself, white blouse sticking out from black trousers and boots. “You could start by taking off my shirt.”

He reached for her, arms long and gaze tender. His fingers found button after button and undid them with the same precision he devoted to every task.

He reached a point below her chest and stopped. Careful, as if fearing to break something precious, he placed a hand over her heart. His fingers rested under her collarbone where her scar ended, and for a moment she could only hear her own faintly thrumming heartbeat.

“Your heart rate is increasing.”

She nodded. The nervosity ate away at her like a greedy bird of prey, but his touch was pleasant enough to endure it. She wanted this.

“That means it’s working.”

A noise came out of the respirator that sounded close to a laugh. She couldn’t help but smile along.

Their eyes met, dark and light green mingling, and they continued in silent agreement. He opened button after button until her shirt hung around her chest and stomach, and finally slid it over her shoulders to the sheets.

Lorelei inhaled sharply, suddenly put on display so openly. Even though she was still wearing her corset and trousers, a sudden chill crept over her, making the hair on her arms stand upright. His hand lingered in the spot where the last button had unfurled, following the way of the garment down to her sides.

She didn’t expect any reaction from the techpriest to her exposure, he was a man of science and metal after all. Still, he studied her with something that could be either simple interest or admiration. 

Lorelei enjoyed the feeling of his eyes on her body. There was something freeing about it. She didn’t feel the need to pose under his gaze like she had for other men, he seemed to take her in exactly as she was and approve of what he saw.

Still she couldn’t help timidly shifting her legs. 

“May I-” she pointed to his hood, cloaking most of his features and disallowing her from seeing what she wanted most.

“Yes.” His reply was barely a breath. For a second, the lights felt lower than before, the room warmer.

Her hands reached to the sides of his head. Fingers brushed against short buzzed hair, pleasantly prickling. With a deliberately slow gesture she pulled the red hood of his robe back, gently placing it behind his neck.

Before she could quite reel herself in she sat up, bending forward. Almost chastely, she pressed a kiss to where the top of his respirator met his nose. His skin was cool underneath her lips. Her lipstick left a small, wine red mark.

It felt like ceremony, to not only devote rite to the metal, but to the flesh.

Her reward was a singular sigh.

Basking in his enjoyment, she moved upward to place a kiss on his forehead. A familiar pressure settled in her core as he wrapped his arms around her holding her tight. His fingers landed on her back. Warm and heavy, his hands pressed into the skin, and she yielded, inching closer to him.

Thought fled her brain, there was only the urge to be closer, closer, closer, and before she knew it she was almost on his lap.

She could feel each exhale of the respirator ghosting her face, and his body heat permeated through the robes as if trying to seep straight into her skin.

Lorelei nuzzled her face into the side of his, the only spot left open by wires and glass. It was a pleasant refuge - the whirring of his machines, the scent of his body - and the hands stroking her back had her enveloped in total, blissful comfort.

Audible breath stole past her lips as the nervous tension in her body eased. 

“Undo my corset.” she commanded, adding a more appropriate, “please.”

There was no one she could rather trust to easen the lacing with mechanical precision, and he undid each clasp with the skill of a servant. Metal fingers clicked pleasantly against each one. It allowed her to exist in the space between them a little while longer, caught in nothing but his arms gently working on her front and back.

The corset fell to the ground, devoid of use for now. Lorelei knew her chemise underneath was awfully thin, barely a barrier to keep away the prying eye. She didn’t need to look down on herself to know her form was easily discernible and her arousal already noticeable in the flush across her chest. 

Yet when she pulled the chemise over her head herself, it was a vulnerable gesture. This is how he must have felt baring her his stigmata. She had nothing of the sort left to show, the scar across her neck always on display. All she had, indeed, was her flesh.

She pressed herself back against his chest to hide her nakedness, not stopping to wait for a reaction this time. 

Almost assertively she ordered the techpriest to see to her pants. He did it the way he had followed all of her orders: with utmost reverence. From the way he unbuttoned them to the care with which he rolled the fabric over her hips and then her individual legs, his work was meditative. He saw to freeing her of her underwear and stockings the same way when she asked him to, finally utterly and completely naked before him. Each of his gestures spoke of a deep respect, and she wished to undress him in the same way when the time came.

She was not sure what would await her under those robes, or if he would allow her to take them off today at all. 

Either way, she was prepared to receive him. He was unconventional, and she was ready to take him as he was. 

When her fingers wrapped around one of the small clasps holding his robe together in front, his hand closed over hers. 

A sign to wait before continuing, or not at all?

Lorelei looked up at the man in front of her. Gently she lifted her hand, and his with it, bringing it to her mouth. In a spur of the moment she kissed the single metallic finger completing it.

Slowly, his finger began to trace the outline of her lips in turn. He wandered over her bottom lip, over the scar adorning both halves, replacing his pointer with his thumb. Almost thoughtful he pressed it into the flesh, seeing her lip yield to his touch and her jaw fall open when he did so.

In a sudden urge of playfulness, she gave it a small bite. He drew his hand back for a second, as if stung by a small animal, but immediately returned. Instead of his thumb he now used both pointer and index to trace the lines of her features, and Lorelei caught herself wishing he’d slip those fingers into her mouth. She could have asked, but seeing where this went naturally was much more exhilarating.

Ever so often their eyes met, and instead of simple curiosity, she could see the same flame burning that had set her alight intermingled with it.

She felt herself burn bright and melt fast under his gaze, and the desire hanging in the air had become palpable.

His fingers dipped into her mouth, just enough for her to taste the metal before they quickly drew back out. Now his hand trailed downwards, leaving a mark of her lipstick over her chin down over her neck where he went.

Lorelei closed her eyes and sighed, pleased. 

His hands began to explore her shoulders. This was what it meant for them both: an exploration. She could feel the way he tried to alternate between harder and gentler touches, the way he tried not to linger in the places her body had suffered lasting damage. She hoped her noises of contentment would serve him as enough feedback.

She liked the way he didn’t focus on her breasts immediately, as others had done before him. Instead he treated her as a whole, diligently caressing with no spot missed. The insides of her wrists proved to be more sensitive than she anticipated, and when he held it gently with one hand and followed the trails of veins there with another, it felt unexpectedly blissful.

“I see now the source of your anomalies,” his voice was a pleasant purr of vox-noise, “the signs are consistent with those previously displayed.”

“Told you.” Lorelei grinned. „Am I allowed to kiss you?” 

He trailed his way up her body over her shoulders, gently caressing her neck with the side of his hands. 

“Affirmative, but not recommended.” There was a slight tinge of something resembling regret to his voice. “Short-term survival is guaranteed. However, status of the skin under the respirator is: damaged.”

She wanted to ask what that entailed, but didn’t want to push the topic either when the night was this young. 

Instead, she leaned back, allowing him more of her, bathing in his attention like a well-fed cat in the sun. He continued his way down and finally - by this point she had been awaiting his touch there, craving it even - his hands found her chest, cupping it lightly. Silver fingers brushed her nipples as if on accident, but nothing really was an accident with Pasqal, was it?  

She didn’t refrain from making sound, rewarding him with soft sighs when his hand moved and gently rolled them between his fingers. 

Once again he leaned in, distance closing, intelligent eyes drinking her in, studying her, and she unravelled just from that inquiring gaze.

The air between them was alight with the heat of their bodies. 

He let go of her, fingers ghosting over the pale delicate skin so devoid of metal, lower and lower until finally settling on her hip. His hold was firm and calming. 

“I request a visual instruction on how to touch you.” Pasqual's vox came out stuttering, but not in any way unsettled. 

Blush crept over her features hot and fast like a fever. Never had she been asked to perform something this private - but with how much she enjoyed his eyes on her, enjoyed the communication that was only between looks, she would not have dreamed of saying no.

“Request accepted, Magos.” Her tone was playful but her breathing quickened slightly. He would see it, she thought, she could not hide her state from him and she did not want to.

She drew back from their entangled position, leaning onto her elbows just far enough for him to see her, enough of her, see what she wanted him to see. Her legs still hung to the side of his lap off the edge of the bed, and she knew that the way it forced her thighs apart left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

He placed his hands firmly on her thighs, and it reassured her as much as it spurred her on. 

She wanted to feel those hands over every inch her body had to offer. Instead, she let her own glide over her stomach and navel toward her center. She wasn’t in the mood to waste time on making this a show, and his efforts left her wanting to be pleased. She didn’t take long to find the soft red curls between her legs and dip her fingers below.

Pleasure jolted through her body like electric current were to run through a machine, quick, infectious, lighting its path. She had touched herself hundreds of times before, naturally, but this was one of the few times she truly ached for something. Better yet, it was the fact she was being watched, willingly but distantly, that brought her quite close to the craved oblivion already.

“Start like this,” she pressed out, caressing around but not quite playing with her most sensitive spot yet, the same way she would if she were alone. He watched her body, yes, but most of his time seemed to be spent studying her face. 

How much did he see that stayed hidden to her?

“Then touch me here.” Her fingers began to circle her clit, unable to take his attention without relief any longer. Was it her imagination, or did his fingers dig into her thighs harder than before?

She tipped her head back, slightly overwhelmed with her own pleasure, but steadily watching him through eyelashes painting a blurry picture. Oh, how she wished that damn robe wouldn’t cover everything: she wanted to know if his body reacted the same as hers, if the same flush spread across his skin, wanted to see him, feel him, make him wholly hers.

The way he held her while sitting in front of her spread legs made it look as if he were inside her already.

Her fingers pushed inside her, first one, then two, and she imagined it was not her moving but him. Their heavy breathing filled the air, eyes locked while she pushed inside herself again and again. Discontented quite soon, she pulled her fingers out, slick and despising the emptiness it left.

“Pasqal,” she sighed, name like a prayer on her lips, “Touch me. I don’t care how, just touch me.”

As if the command had awakened him, the Techpriest rose to his full seated height. Carefully he pulled away, instead taking a position leaning over her, and once again she felt deliciously small both under his body and gaze.

Her persistent arousal, now quite obvious, had left a stain on his crimson robes.  

“Apologies.” she looked down on him, not without a smirk, once again placing her hand over the opening of the robe that closed his skin off from her sight. “May I open it?”

Pasqal’s agreement was a melodic hum. His mechanic hand gently pushed hers aside, parting his robes. 

The sight was the same as back when he had shown her his stigmata on the bridge, but back then she hadn't felt about him the way she did now. The memory had passed through her mind more than once. Again the winding unity of metal and flesh revealed itself to her, framed by crimson. 

“I still think it’s beautiful.” she sighed, wrapping both arms and legs around him as far as she could. 

Wires pressed against her, but so did cloth, flesh, metal. Pasqal was a landscape of textures and sounds. She embraced him, felt him, tried to focus on the places the sacred stigmata connected with her skin as well as his hand on her body, pressed against her stomach. 

His robes hung to her side, enveloping them as if a shared being.

And wasn’t this sacred, too? The meeting of opposites in agreement to become one, the contact of flesh, whether true or not, for fleeting moments of harmony.

She didn’t voice any of this, too taken by the moment to speak of something that might conflict with his teachings, but there had to have been a reason why he had agreed to unite with her despite them.

His vox was a fervent purr, hand gently ranking down her body the same way she had done on herself. His path was predictable, he had paid close attention when she had demonstrated after all.

He teased her the same way, avoiding the spot that would bring her close, but by the Emperor, it was worse when someone else did it than oneself. There was difference in knowing you could stop whenever you wanted and being wholly at the mercy of someone else, who might not be so benevolent yet.

His hand was the only thing separating their bodies, her gasps and moans the only thing filling the darkness between them, shielded from the light of the room. The world became her and him, the cloth between her fingers, the bedsheets under her back. 

“That’s good- good.” she managed to press out, panting between breaths, but not much more.

Finally, and how badly had she waited for it, his fingers found her clit and began to draw circles there, first withholding, then slowly increasing. The difference of texture between her skin and his metal was exhilarating.

It felt dreamlike, to be touched by someone she thought never would do so, and though pleasure tried to carry her away like an undercurrent, she tried to keep her mind in the present moment. 

Lorelei wanted to drink in Pasqal’ expression, the knit of his brows, the steady quickened exhale of the vox that betrayed he wasn’t unaffected, and he seemed to do the same to her.

In a moment of passion and little thought, she released her grasp around his neck, hand lading on the respirator cupping his face. 

Yet she halted a few seconds, awaiting indication that it was unwelcome to proceed, but it never came.

Slender finger slipped the respirator and vox down over his chin, forgotten and falling around his neck. Skin damaged by years of wear revealed itself from under it, scars where the machine had sat for so long as well as scars of other origin, patched and sewn but far from small. Lorelei didn’t care, pressed her lips to his before he could think to explain himself to her. 

He gave a little gasp, the first sound of his she had heard not filtered through his implants, and it was such a soft and fragile one that she wished to remember it for all of eternity. It took him some time to adjust to the kiss, long seconds passing in which they simply breathed the same air, connected, but finally he closed his lips over hers in something resembling a kiss.

Just in time with their impulsive affections, his fingers pushed inside her. Lorelei let out a startled yelp, breaking the contact, that quickly turned into a sigh. 

“Keep doing that-” she whispered, one hand back in his robes to clutch it like a lifeline. The other still held his respirator. She decided to indulge in another kiss, letting her lips wander over his and trying to immortalise in the feeling against hers, memorising every ridge of every scar running over each their lips, until the tactile image was burned into her mind.

Once satisfied, Lorelei gently placed the respirator back on his face.

Maybe he thanked her, maybe he said something entirely else, but the words went under as the rush of her own ecstasy pulled her downwards once more.

The feeling of his fingers sinking inside her was breathtaking, though her mind sometimes slipped in and out of imagining it to be something else, and with the time their play had gone on, she knew she would not last long. 

She tried to communicate the same to him, but the words stopped making sense in her head before they came out, and she was sure he’d know anyway. 

Lorelei fell and pulled him down with her, down, down, finger woven tight into the fabric and dragging him towards her. He hung over her like a shadow, one arm to her side, the other giving her seemingly endless pleasure, and she stared into his eyes with tender desperation.

Finally her body bucked upwards, into him, her core tightened, and then all the tension fell out of her at once. The climax came to her gently, the final impulse given. The pleasure spread through her like electric current lighting up nodes one by one until finally too bright to handle, burning the fuse. 

She held him through it, panting something that could have been his name, until the last of it had ebbed away and she sank back into the sheets, exhausted, but content.

It took her several moments to catch her breath, even when he had already withdrawn from her. He remained where he was, mild concern written in his eyes along with something else.

“Do you confirm your satisfaction?”

“Highly.” She stretched her hands, letting them fall besides her head. 

“Initiating the end of the encounter.”

“Wait,” Lorelei propped herself up. “You’ve taken care of me, and it would feel unfair to just-”

“The pleasure of the Rogue Trader takes priority.” he lectured her, “reciprocation can be negotiated at a later date.”

Her face lit up at the idea of a continuation, and the knot in her stomach that had formed when he announced the end untangled as quickly as it had come. It was true that she had plenty more ideas for occasions such as these.

“Accepted.”

“I’ve been informed that the customary end of protocol for this type of activity demands initiating closeness.”

“It does.” A smile spread across Lorelei’s lips. Her lipstick must have been thoroughly ruined by now. “If you would like to share this with me? You’re free to leave, if that is more to your comfort.” 

Her words were tender. She wanted to show him the same courtesy he had shown her, that he hadn't overwhelmed her, had been considerate and almost loving.

“It is a protocol I am honoured to fulfil.”

There was a happy trill coming from one of Pasqal machines as the hulking figure of the Techpriest tried to get comfortable on the suddenly very small bed. 

He rested his head on the pillow against the headboard, mechadendrites neatly tucked to his sides, hands folded over his stomach. It painted a somewhat out-of-place picture all together, much to Lorelei’s amusement.

She curled herself up against him, head on the spot where the symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus had been. Underneath, she could hear the workings of a plethora of machinery, ticks and thrums, and deeper yet - a single, steady heartbeat. 

Lorelei listened to it for a while, until the rhythmic chorus under the techpriest’s skin sank her into blissful sleep.

[Ao3 Link]

[sanzosin]

Putting out my Rogue Trader sketch horde since im feeling a dragon age fever coming on.....oh--ohhh

[uselesspsyker]

[redbatchedcumbermayned]

Dopamine Week fic recs - all Rogue Trader gift exchange fics!!!

Because I'm short on time this week, here's a link list to all the fics that have been written in the two Rogue Trader gift exchanges so far to celebrate the awesome people in this fandom and the great work they create!

First RT gift exchange May 25th*:

A smuggler and a thief by nikozaur - Jae x m!Rogue Trader

Some masks are borne of convenience, some of of necessity. Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish which of them is the real face.

The last dance and the first by @theevilscribbler - Xavier Calcazar x f!Rogue Trader

After a successful meeting with the Lord Inquisitor during her Magnae Accessio, Cesselie von Valancius is surprised to find that Xavier Calcazar has lingered to enjoy the party a little longer. Will a less formal encounter pave the way to something more?

Part of the trial by Hackinslash - Marazhai x Sister Argenta

Enjoy two characters at their lowest ebb, fighting against the odds to get a taste of redemption and freedom.

Radiance on the bridge by @captastra Heinrix x f!Rogue Trader

Heinrix van Calox gets lost in thought as he watches Isidora von Valancius on the bridge of her ship.

A leap into the void by myself XD - Heinrix x f!Rogue Trader

Heinrix van Calox and Lethyan von Valancius spend a quiet evening in the observatorium. Things turn spicy fast and Lethyan finds out that even a Biomancer's willpower has its limits.

Second RT gift exchange August 17th:

Systematical; Sacrificial by @vossprime - Pasqal x f!Rogue Trader

The Rogue Trader and Pasqal discuss their blossoming entanglement, life after Commorragh, and Pasqal's mechadendrites. A strange ritual ensues.

Storytime by @holylustration Heinrix x m!Rogue Trader x Jae

Cassia's heard a tale from some midshipmen - and as everything one hears from the crew must be true - she's invited the Lord Captain and some friends to share the story. Not everyone is impressed.

We're tender mammals mostly by @gravelorded Pasqal x f!Rogue Trader

Mercy. Von Valancius knows it, even if she refuses to speak its name. A tech-priest knows to excise it to better understand the Omnissiah’s directive, but for her- for this moment only, he assures- he will try.

Closed Impetus by @vossprime - Heinrix x f!Rogue Trader

Rogue Trader Elena von Valancius and Inquisitor Heinrix van Calox find themselves at a spontaneous ball. Between investigating noble intrigues and fast dances, they have to ponder the status of their relationship since the Magnae Accessio.

A sound strategy by @theevilscribbler - Heinrix x f!Rogue Trader

As the siege on Eufrates II draws close and their future hangs in the balance, Inquisition Agent Heinrix van Calox is determined to ensure that all their plans are flawless, even at the cost of his own well-being. Fortunately, his beloved Rogue Trader is on hand to assist with his preparations… and even has a few interesting suggestions of her own!

Tender by @vitanithepure - Heinrix x f!Rogue Trader

Sometimes Heinrix van Calox needs a reminder that those that play with fire often get burned.

A Tech-Priest's heart by @captastra Pasqal x f!Rogue Trader

Pasqal slowly starts to learn that the heart, machine or not, still has a way of falling.

Down the line by Hackinslash - Marazhai x m!Rogue Trader

Marazhai Aezyrraesh wishes to taste some of Seth von Valancius's psyker powers, and his little pet doesn't dare refuse.

A rare flower amidst Chaos by myself - Heinrix x f!Rogue Trader

Lord Inquisitor Heinrix van Calox had always loved Lienna von Valancius. Yet duty had kept the lovers apart until now. Heinrix has been summond to Lyxus to attend a picnic, and he has a confession to make.

*if I missed a fic please send me a message and I'll add it promptly.

Now go and spread the love and discover some hidden gems!

[lorraineofcominantes]

Tanna Talk: This Week in the Rogue Trader AO3 fandom (March 17 - 23 2024)

Hey hey hi, I want to be annoying on main so I thought it would be fun to start doing these weekly summaries of "What's new in the AO3 Rogue Trader fandom?" because my little rabbit brain can't keep up with the sheer amount of content and I loved @holylustration's dopamine week and think, you know what would be cool? Weekly newsletter style dop week minidose. This goes out to you @pycnolite my darling fellow organizer brained fan. Anyway, this is user aylinvail reporting to you live over vox caster from the Starseeker Bridge.

Events

Flowers of Spring (March 21, 2024) has officially concluded. Flowers of Spring is a floral-themed Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader Edition. You can find all the entries on the Flowers of Spring (March 21 2024) tag. This was preceded by Rosette Coordinated Strike Day which was dedicated in honor of Inquisitor @leadflowers's birthday.

Cool new fics

Maybe the fic did something new. Maybe it innovated. Maybe it's an entirely new concept we haven't seen yet. A non-comprehensive list. Here's what I chomped on this week.

Salt in the Wound - user Weretoad_Writer explores the aftermath of the decision to exterminatus Rykad Minoris. Excerpt: "When you’re a hammer, every problem looks like a nail, right? So either take a swing or get the fuck away from me!”

Omnissiah Forgive Me - user @jaal-ama-daravv has launched the long awaited Pasqal/RT longfic. Excerpt: "Okay, Tech-Priest, you don’t get to die that easily.”

Killing Instinct - user @nerendus cooked a very sexy Tervantias the Archmachinator x RT dead dove fic. Excerpt: “Then don't allow it,” the Rogue Trader suggests. “Force me into submission as I do the same to you. Break me as I break you.”

Who updated?

Just because my silly rabbit brain is at capacity for longfics doesn't mean it's impossible to round everyone else's plot rabbits up.

Theatre of Hearts - RT/Nocturne of Oblivion arranged marriage. And from what I hear, getting really cultural difference-flavor of interesting.

My Knight So Daring - An Imperial Knight!Heinrix x noble!RogueTrader arranged marriage AU. And from what I hear, getting really hot.

Edge of Daybreak Unbroken - Heretic Rogue Trader gets brought back to the start of the game. Time travel shenanigans ensue.

Into Temptation - Ministorum priest x Marazhai x Heinrix. Dead dove!

Pigeons and Eagles - Argenta/Cassia! Enemies to Friends to Lovers.

Tapestry of Fate II - Heinrix/RT. The Godmother of Rogue Trader Heinrix fics. Elena M is currently the furthest along the events of the game out of all the current longfics.

Starseeker - Heinrix/RT intrigue rewrite of game events with Kunrad-related canon divergence. And a shoujo romance.

I Can Be Your China Doll, If You’d Like To See Me Fall - RT/Calcazar. RT is voidborn and Theo's daughter, has met Calcazar before game events.

gossamer of starlight - RT/Yrliet. Yrliet watches her elantach's dynasty fall apart in slow motion. Non chronological.

A Thousand Floating Worlds - OC/Calligos Winterscale where Calligos becomes the Rogue Trader to save his Found Family from Interrogator Calcazar.

Addendums

will be updated, changed in the next few days, changes logged here. I just needed to get this out of my brainstem.

- Added I Can Be Your China Doll, If You’d Like To See Me Fall, gossamer of starlight as of March 22. Added A Thousand Floating Worlds on March 23.

[gravelorded]

Some Pasqal X RT for the gift exchange. Yippee!!

[mathlann]

Jae Heydari for the Send Me a Character post.

And @poetikat since I got two for her....but Jae, my beloved!

How I feel about this character

My best friend! My Dogma-skeptical darling! Genuinely have had so much fun actually playing with her in this second run because there's just so much more to notice. Like how it's a lot easier to catch the truth about her identity because she's actually not that good of a liar. She's a con artist among fellow criminals but when actually interacting with real nobility her inner "raised in serfdom" almost tries to come out in her dialogue. Like she should have been caught earlier but that her main haters, Abelard and Cassia, are prioritizing the wrong things in their "poseur" assessments. I also love how her advice in a lot of the game is a lot more practical and compassionate than you'd really think given her background (+1 poseur pt). Taking apart her dialogue is just ugh, so chewy and I need to meta about her when I finish this run. And too, her banter with Idira by itself is just lovely and their friendship is one my favorite things about the game.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Jae x My Mutuals' RTs 💕

Jae x Idira. Which I'm surprised I haven't seen advocated for yet? They almost immediately bond over having a good time, and they're both critical of the Imperium from the perspective of its cruelty to the marginalized. Also Idira's whole Issue being how she's been constantly exploited in various ways and never been allowed to be a human, and even though Jae often treats the retinue as a networking opportunity she always treats Idira like a person. Not as a heretical tool, or a cursed wretch, or someone to pity. Hell, the only time I've seen her ask Idira to use her powers is about their card games and she's also one of the few people who straightforwardy just gets Idira's whispers and isn't freaked out by them. I dunno. I'd be happy if, maybe on that final trip Jae takes Idira on before the Warp claims her, they held hands while watching the space whales and kissed about it. Or if we roll that trip into endings where Jae goes on the run, they Thelma and Louise-d while being chased by Imperial Authorities. That would be rad too. Nobody found the bodies, they're at Space!Corvo Bianco to me.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Jae and Idira ofc

Post-Game Mercenary Corsair!Marazhai and Shadow Baroness or Right Hand!Jae buddy comedy when?

My unpopular opinion about this character

I've said it before and I'll say it again but people who hate her/call her a gold digger over the recording incident aren't actually looking at the action in context, and while yeah it sucks, the people who go out of their way to kill her about it are kind of proving the point her romance is trying to make.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish we got to see more Kasballica shenanigans! The game often sets her as Pasqal's opposite (in tech) to parallel Idira as Heinrix's (for psykers) but I would have loved to see more of Jae as our practical xenos expert. Like her and Heinrix are both reporting to HR at the end of the day, but the way Heinrix's official duties can involve working with/understanding xenos, which he can't do because he's...yeah... so most of his expertise is more about killing them, while Jae is someone who definitely should not be working with xenos but often has better solutions to dealing with them because she can't afford to go hog, is something I wish the game explored more.

[ocherednoe-dno]

Umm the >///< The RT ship ask: Ethera x Pasqal (really curious how you see them teehee >///<)

I don't actually know that much about them

oh look, a bingo. free space is for "this seems like something people would call a girlboss x malewife relationship"

[redbatchedcumbermayned]

Dopamine Week #3 - fic rec #3

Today for something completely different. A Rogue Trader x Pasqal love story from the lovely @jaal-ama-daravv. In her own words:

Pasqal Haneumann owes his life to the Lord Captain, Kassard. When he joined the Lord Captain's retinue, Pasqal found he had got more than he had bargained for. For the Lord Captain was enough for Pasqal's faith to be shaken to its core.

Do you want to have a romance that is love at first sight of the holy stigmata? Do you want to have your heart broken by a guilt riddled Tech-Priest as he has to struggle to reconcile with his believe in the Omnissiah and his love for the RT? Do you want to feel the vivid agony of taking Pasqal to Commorragh?

Then go read this story and show it some well deserved love!

[lorraineofcominantes]

Tanna Talk: This Week in the Rogue Trader (Video Game) AO3 fandom (March 24- 30 2024)

"Oh, yes, a dance was never just a dance. It was also a display of the soul. It was love, and war, and didn’t they say that all was fair in love and war ?" - Tapestry of Fate, Ch. 34.

Lots of new plot bunnies this week in the trenches. Anyway, this is user aylinvail reporting to you live over vox caster from the Starseeker Bridge.

Cool new fics

Maybe the fic did something new. Maybe it innovated. Maybe it's an entirely new concept we haven't seen yet. A non-comprehensive list.

Two sides of the same Aquila - An AU where the Warrant of Trade is held by two most incompatible individuals in the Koronus Expanse. A series of pivotal moments of their relationship where they need to learn to share the power, space and an Interrogator in order to make it out alive. BOY THAT IS FRESH @vitanithepure.

Eliminate - A fic about Epitaph and Calcazar telling Heinrix to kill you. Told in 500 brilliant bittersweet words. @pycnolite's masterclass in how to keep it short and sweet.

Omega von Valancius - OMG @pallysuune has finally brought us the first A/B/O RT fic. As an omega, Violet von Valancius wasn't fit to be the Rogue Trader, and everyone around her seemed to know it too. But no one was more vocal about it than her so-called-peer. Can her actions ever earn his respect, or will she forever be lesser in his eyes?

The First Engagement - I know, I know, but listen. Have you seen a Lord Captain Heinrix x Interrogator RT yet? No. Fits here. Anyway, if you wanted to see what Heinrix is like as a jackass who "summers" in Janus, here ya go.

Who updated?

Here are the longfics that updated this week.

Starseeker - Heinrix/RT intrigue rewrite of game events with Kunrad-related canon divergence. And a shoujo romance.

gossamer of starlight - RT/Yrliet. Yrliet watches her elantach's dynasty fall apart in slow motion. Non chronological.

Predator & Prey - RT/Marazhai. Aurelia von Valancius has a secret. Marazhai Aezyrraesh has a craving. They're perfectly matched opposites, so long as as they can overcome their differences.

Theatre of Hearts - RT/Nocturne of Oblivion arranged marriage. And from what I hear, getting really cultural difference-flavor of interesting.

Much ado about the Lord Captain - A Comedy of Terrors - RT/Heinrix. A retelling of Rogue Trader with tons of pining. A forest of pine trees. And smut.

Immortalium - RT/Heinrix. NEW! From @cawyden-gaming. The story follows Venria von Valancius on her journey of coming to terms with her past and present.

Iron Maidens - Multiship. An Iron Widow x Rogue Trader crossover.

Omnissiah Forgive Me - RT/Pasqal. Pasqal Haneumann owes his life to the Lord Captain, Kassard. When he joined the Lord Captain's retinue, Pasqal found he had got more than he had bargained for. For the Lord Captain was enough for Pasqal's faith to be shaken to its core.

My Knight So Daring - An Imperial Knight!Heinrix x noble!RogueTrader arranged marriage AU. And from what I hear, getting really hot.

Into Temptation - RT/Marazhai/Heinrix. Former Ministorum Priest now Rogue Trader Cassius Von Valancius must contend with his heretical desires for Marazhai. Matters become even more complicated as his feelings for Heinrix Van Calox deepen.

Edge of Daybreak Unbroken - RT/Heinrix. Heretic Rogue Trader gets brought back to the start of the game. Time travel shenanigans ensue.

Once we were - RT/Heinrix. A story following the events of the game, in which Imogene von Valancius allied her dynasty with Xavier Calcazar and brought peace and prosperity to the Koronus Expanse. But neither last long, and the line between hero and heretic is always blurred.

Domino Effect - Multi. Betrayal is terrible. It never comes from one's foes. But instead from those closest. It comes from a place of safety. Of love.

Addendums

they go here. for in case there are late night updates. im out of spoons bros.